Piece-up mechanism for textile machines



m a, 1927. R a NAUMBURG I 1,626,954

rnsca-ur uscrmusm FOR TEXTILE mcnmss Filed July 11; 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1'- ,9 M @7 E E 9 Ma 3 1927. 1626 954 y R. E. NAUMBURG PIECE-UP MECHANISM FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Fi lpd July-ll. 1925 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 AZ A? 6'7 M M a mug May 39 R. E. NAUMB URG 5 PIECE-UP mscmxmsm FOR TEXTILE mcamss Filed July 11. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 3 1927.

l 626 954' R. E. NAUMBURG PIECE-UP MECHANISM FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Fileq July 11. 1925 4 Sheets-Shet 4 J7 ZU67ZZ07 I u d; I v w @m @a a @M Patented May 3, 1927.

UNITED STATES noimrvr NAUMBUBG, or wnronns'rnn, MASSACHUSETTS.

, PIECE-UP MECHANISM FOR TEXTILE MACHINES.

Application filed Julyll, 1925. Serial No. 42,957.

This vinvention pertains to machines of that type in which a plurality of elongate bodies are .con' bined to form a single similar body, the usual cotton drawing frame constituting a good example of a machine of the character referred to, and having been chosen as the illustrative embodiment of the invention herein described, but it is to be understood that in its broader aspects the present invention is of more general application and that while the elongate body is hereinafter referred to as a sliver, or more generally as an end these terms are to'be understood with a broad significance and as inclusive of any elongate body for example, a wire, lap, bat, ribbon, roving, sliver, yarn, or thread. a

In my United States Patent No. 1,556,018,

for sliver replacement mechanism for textile machinery dated October 6,1925, I have disclosed and claimed a mechanism designed automatically to piece up or renew a broken or exhausted sliveron its way to the rolls of .a drawing frame. and the present invention constitutes an improvement upon the piecenp mechanism disclosed in said application.

Principal objects of the present invention are to provide a reserve sliver or end which is automatically presented in position to feed to the drawing rolls upon breakage or exhaustion of any one of the active ends or slivers, that is .to say those slivers which in the orderly operation of the machine are continuously fed into the latter; to prevent contact of the reserve sliver with the active slivers except when the reserve sliver has been movedover into active or feeding position; to insure proper ,co-mingling of the material of the reserve sliver with that of the active slivers when the reserve end is moved into active position; to provide means for moving the reserve sliver or end from idle to active position at a predetermined although preferably adjustable speed independent of the speedof operation of the machine; to provide means for effectively .holding the vreserve end when in idle position which is adapted freely to release the re-- serve end when the latter is presented in active position; to provide an arrangement which constitutes a visually observable moving signal when a sliver has run out or broken; to provide mechanism readily applicable .to existing machines of the general type referred to; to provide a mechanism which will operate in the usual :manner either through mechanical or electricalv I meansto stop the machine in the event that a second normally act ve silver or thereserve sliver should break or become exhausted during the time that the reserve sliver is feeding to the rol s or if the reservethe active ends when the latter is broken'or exhausted, such holder when normally positioned, that is when idle, being located to one side of the usual crescent guide over which the active slivers pass to the gathering-in point of the rolls, and normally re- 3 stricted means, for example a spring or weight, operative when released by breakage or exhaustion of an active sliver quickly to move the reserve end laterally to a point substantially central ofthe group of active slivers and into frictional contact with the latter so that the reserve end is drawn out of the holder bytlie drag of the active ends and fed with such active ends to the rolls. Preferably theholder or comb swings in an arc in a plane substantially perpendicular to the path of movement of the active slivers and the arrangement of the comb issuch that although when in idle posit-ion it holds the reserve end securely, it freely releases the reserve end when the comb is moved to pres nt ng Posit on V Inaddition to the seriesof detector spoons or feelers usually provided for engagement with the activeslivers. Ijprovide a supplementaiydetector spoon or feeler for the reserve sliventhe spacingand position of this upplementaryspoon relatively to the others enabling the operator readily to distinguish t i ser eend f om h ers 1 The feelersfor stop dogs corresponding to e ch ott i stop. spo ns, in l d ig b-e' e en spoon, are mb tedup n a c m enpor 'which s ccnne 'vted' o h usual Oscillating st p haf thu si ulta eo s y Os lating all of the dogsin time with the shaft.

reserve end intendedto replace any one of vEach of said dogs when abno mally posi V ill tioncd by the dropping of its corresponding spoon, engages a movable abutment common to the several dogs and thereby releases the retaining latch of the reserve end holder to allow the latter to move over to active or presenting position.

The detector spoons not only control the substitution of the reserve end for a broken or exhausted active end but also cooperate under certain conditions with the usual stop mechanism to stop the drive for the drawing frame. For example, if after the reserve end has been substituted for an active end, another active end should break, or if the reserve end should break after its introduc tion between the drawing rolls, or while it is being moved to presenting position, the corresponding detector spoon moves to abnormal position and through the connections provided blocks further movement of the oscillating shaft.

In the accompanying drawings the present invention is illustrated by way of example as embodied in an ordinary cotton drawing frame provided with the usual driving and stopping mechanisms.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a drawin frame )l'OViClQd. with the iece-u b mechanism forming the subject matter of the present invention, showing reserve holders both in idle and active position;

Fig. 9. is a fragmentary front elevation of the drawing frame, partly in section to show the interior construction;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing the reserve holder in idle position;

Fig. 4: is a similar vertical section substantially showing the reserve holder in ac tive position;

F 5 is a vertical transverse section substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 1 showing one of the detector spoons in section, the parts all being in normal position;

Fi 6 is a vertical transverse section showing one of the spoons in depressed position, and the mechanism as it appears after the reserve holder has moved to active position;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing a second spoon depressed and the parts arranged to stop the machine;

Fig. 8 is :1V detail end elevation of the latch, showing certain parts in section; and

Fig. 9 is a detail showing the device applied to a modified form of stop mechanism.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 indicates one of the end supports of the machine and the numeral 2 designates a driving shaft having mounted thereon the fast and loose pulleys 3 and 4 respectively. The usual belt shifter 5 is provided for moving the driving belt from one of the pulleys to the other. This belt shifter may be actuated to stop the machine automatically by the usual stop mechanism common in such apparatus, such mechanism usually comprising a normally oscillating shaft and a part which may be moved into a position where it blocks oscillation of the shaft thus by intermediate connections stopping the frame. Since such mechanism forms no essential feature of the present invention, it is believed unnecessary further to describe them herein.

As illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, but two deliveries are shown, each delivery comprising a pair of rear rolls 6. Corresponding to each delivery the machine is provided with a back plate 8, 9, etc. which is movably secured to the roll stand by means of bolts 10 and dowel pins 11.

Each of the rear plates is furnished with an elongate opening whose rear edge is preferably defined by a spanner plate 12 secured to the main plate by screws 12 and having an elongate recess divided by a tongue 13 into a cell 14 for the reception of a single reserve end detector spoon 15 and a longer cell or opening 16 for the reception of the detector spoons 17 for the active ends of which six are herein illustrated. The usual spaced guides G may be secured to the back plates, furnishing passages G G corresponding to the several spoons for guiding the slivers from the source of supply to the individual spoons, the passage G preferably being somewhat wider than the other passages G.

Secured to the under side of each of the rear plates 8, 9, etc. is a boxlike structure comprising spaced end webs 18 and 19 (Fig. 3) attached to the corresponding back plate by means of bolts 20 and 21. A bracket 19 is secured to the web 19 at the extreme left hand end of the machine by means of a bolt 19 and this bracket has a depending arm 22 which provides a bearing for one end of an oscillating shaft 23. The opposite end of this shaft is mounted in a bearing in a bracket similar to the bracket 19 secured to the web 18 attached to the back plate at the opposite end of the machine. This oscillating shaft is the shaft hereinbefore referred to as forming a, part of the usual stop mechanism of the machine and is continually rocked or oscillated so long as the machine is in operation.

Brackets project rearwardly from the webs 18 and 19 respectively and support the opposite ends of a knife edge fulcrum bar (F ig. which supports the reserve and active spoons. Each, of these spoons, as for example the reserve spoon 15 shown in Fig. 5, comprises a wide sliver-engaging spoon portion 27 and a downwardly directed tail 28 having a tooth or detent member 29 at its lower end for a purpose hereinafter to be described. These spoons are so Weighted that they normally tend to swing by gravity lUiE about their point of engagement with the fulcrum bar 26 in a counter clockwise directionas shown in Fig. 5 but when the yarnor sliver, as indicated at Y in Fig. 5, engages the spoon portion .27,- said yarn being under tension, the detector'or feeler spoon is tilted is attached, theother end of thespring being secured to a pin projecting from the adjacent web. .These springs thus tend to swing the brackets 31 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 5. V

Stub shafts36 project from the lower rear portions-of the webs 18 and 19, respectively,

and support swinging arms 37 to which the opposite ends of a shaft 38 are secured. Upon thisshaft 38 a series of stop dogs 39 is pivotally mounted, saiddogs corresponding in number to and cooperating with the detector spoonsabove described. Each stop dog is provided with a toe 40 adapted for engagement by the detent member 29 of the corresponding spoon and with a i-finger 41 which in certain.positions of the stop dog engages the movable abutment bar 32. The

several dogs .are preferably held in proper position upon the shaft 38 by means of screws 42 having threaded engagement with the shaft and whose, heads are disposed within elongate circumferential slots 43 in the hub portion of the respective dogs.

Each dog is furnished with-a lug 45 to other end of the spring :being secured to a bar 47 which is connectedat opposite ends to lugs projecting from. link members 48 pivotally connected at their upper ends to the opposite ends of the shaft 38 and secured at their lower ends by adjustable connections 49 to spaced rock armsi50 mounted upon the sl1aft.23 and oscillating therewith.

The arrangement.thus described provides for a constant oscillation of the shaft with its seriesof stop dogs, but in the normal position of the stop spoons, these dogs occupy the position relative :to shaft 38 mucated in Fig. 5, the heads =of the screws 42 acting as stops'to limit the movement of the dogs by their springs The bracket 31 \which s adjacent to the web 19 is furnished with adownwardlyedi- .rect'ed arm 51 pivotally connected at its lower end to .a forwardly extended pusher member 52 terminating in acontactishoelg53,

The contactshoe of this pusher overlies a substantially horizontal ledge 54 formed on the inner surface of the web 19., suchledge terminating in an abrupt abutment Vertical shoulder 55.

A stub shaft 56, secured to the web 19, carries a latch lever comprising an arm 57 which extends downwardly and which is provided with a cam toe 58 which inclines downwardlyand rearwardly and which nor mally supports theshoe 53 of the pusher 52 and prevents such shoe from engaging the ledge 54 and the abutment .55.

The latch lever is also furnished with an upstanding arm 59 provided with a latch tooth .59 adapted to engage the end of a pin 60 projecting from a reserve holder lever61 (Fig. This reserve holder lever is secured to a short shaft 62 turning in a hollow boss 63 projecting from the usual crescent {F guide 64 over which the active slivers pass on their way to the drawingrolls. WVithin the boss 63 :a spring 63 is arranged which engages the shaft 62 and tends to swing the reserve holder lever in'a counter clockwise direction as viewed inFig.3.

One end of the reserve holder is provided with ahead or holder 65 preferably fur-.

:nished with a plurality of forwardly projecting teeth 66 arranged inthe form of a comb and upon which the reserve end is empaled. The opposite end 67 of the reserve holder lever is'furnished with atoe 68 which is adapted, as the lever is swung from its normal position, to engage a finger 69 ,pro-

;guide openings G and over the spoon porwhich one end=of aspring 46 is attached, the V tions 27of their respective detector spoons and thence over the crescent guide 64 to the 38 constantly oscillating and carrying the v dogs 39. in their normal position asshown in Fig. 5. Assuming that one of the active ends breaks or is exhausted, its corresponding spoon is permitted to drop by gravity .until .its-detent 29 comes .into the path of the toe 40 of the corresponding dog 39.

Upon the next downward oscillation of the shaft 38 the -dog 39, being .held by the detent 29, is caused to turn upon the shaft 38 in opposition to its spring 46 until its finger l1 engages the abutment bar 32 and presses it down so that it moves bodily about the axis defined by the stub shafts 30 in a counter clockwise direction. This moves the pusher 52 forwardly until the end of the shoe 53 engages the vertical rear surface of the arm 57 of the latch lever, thus swinging the latch lever about the pivot 56 and dis engaging the latch tooth 59 from the pin 60. The spring withinthe boss 63 is now free to swing the reserve holder over into the position in which it is indicated at the right hand side of F 1, carrying the reserve end transversely across the active ends and into frictional contact therewith. This .movement of the reserve holder is independent of the speed and operation of the machine and by adjusting the spring the speed of entry of the reserve end may be adjusted to a fixed amount. While a spring is convenient for actuating the reserve holder, it is contemplated that the spring may be replaced by a weigh or other suitable actuating means independent of the drive mechanism of the machine. During the movement of the reserve holder from its idle to its active position as just described, the member 68 engages the linger 69 of the latch lever and swings the latter upwardly until the cam member 58 is removed from beneath the pusher shoe 53 and permits the lat er to drop onto the ledge 54 where it remains until the reserve holder has been reset by the operator.

As soon as the reserve end comes into frictional contact with the active ends it tends to move forward with the latter and since the comb teeth of the holder when in active position extend substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the active ends, the reserve end is readily pulled on from the comb teeth and feeds forward with the other active ends into the drawing rolls. Reference to Fig. 1 indicates that the reserve holder moves transversely across several of the group of active ends so that regardless of which active end may break the reserve end is certain to feed forward with the remaining part of the group and is thoroughly incorporated in the combined sliver delivered from the drawing rolls.

As the movable abutment bar is pressed down by the finger ll of the dog 39 the finger finally escapes below the bar 32 and since the springs 34 immediately pull the brackets 31 back to their normal position after dis engagement of the abutment 32 by the linger 41, the latter is prevented from rising again to its normal position above the abutment so that the same dog cannot again actuate the abutment rod 32 until it hasbeen released by the operator from the detent 29. Since the detent 29 of the depressed spoon still engages the toe of the dog, the spoon is rocked at each subsequent oscillation of the dog and thus constitutes a moving visual signal to notify the operator of the breakage or exhaustion of the sliver.

If, before the operator pieces up the active end which broke or became exhausted, another end, either of the original group of active ends or the reserve end, should break or become exhausted, a second spoon will be permitted to drop, thus engaging its corresponding dogand causing the finger 41 of the latter to contact with the abutment member 32 thereby partially depressing the latter.

In this event, the rearward movement of the pusher 52 under the action of the corresponding stop dog causes the shoe 53 to come into contact with the fixed abutment shoulder and since the movement of the pusher is thus positively limited the linger ll of the dog is unable to complete its normal movement and the shaft 38 is stopped. The stopping of the shaft 38 also stops the shaft 23 and through the usual connections shifts the belt onto the loose pulley and stops the drawing frame.

The machine now remains at rest until the operator has pieced up at least one of the ends and reset the corresponding feeier spoon. Usually the operator will also piece up the other ends and reset the reserve end iolders to their normal positions.

In the idle or normal position of the reserve end holder the comb teeth upon which i the endis empaled project in such a direction that they prevent retrograde movement of the reserve end so that the reserve end may be properly tensioned to keep its spoon in normal or idle position.

Ordinarily the operator will piece up the broken active end after the reserve end has been thrown over into the active position and before a second end breaks. The drop of the spoon corresponding to the broken end provides a constantly moving visual signal enabling the operator even though at a -dis tance to note the fact of breakage or exhaustion.

Although a single reserve holder has here been shown which operates to lay the reserve end across moving, active ends whenever any end of the group of normally active ends breaks or is exhausted, it is clear that a plurality of reserve holders, each common to the several active ends of a delivery, may if desired be provide-d.

While the invention has been shown as applied to a machine having a mechanical stop motion, it is contemplated that under some circumstances it may be desired to employ it in a. machine using an electrical stop means. This may be readily accomplished by using the end of the shoe 53 of the pusher as a contact maker to close an electrical cirlit) cuit whenever the shoe is allowed to rest upon the ledge 54; in the absence of the cam member 58' of the latch lever. Such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 9 where an insulated contact is shown as mounted upon While a specific embodiment of the invention has herein been shown by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to this detailed construction but that the fundamental principle, to wit, the provision of a reserve holder common to a plurality of active ends and which is automatically moved to an active or presenting position upon breakage of any of the active ends of the group, may be embodied in structures of a character difiering in detail from that herein disclosed and maybe incorporated in other machines than drawing frames where similar are met with. p i a I claim: r

1. A machine of the class described comprising means for moving a groupof active slivers in the same general directiolna holder for a reserve sliver common to the group, said holder normally being laterally removed from said group, and means responsive to breakage or exhaustion of any of said active slivers to move the reserve sliver holder to a position such as to cause substitution of the reserve sliver for any such broken or exhauted sliver.

2. A machine of the class described comprising means for imparting continuous forward movement to each of a group of slivers,

and means sensitively responsive to breakage or exhaustion of any one of the slivers of the group to initiate movement of a reserve sliver common to the group from an inactive position laterally spaced from the group to a position such that itsrfree end extends trans vcrsely of and in. contact with the moving active slivers.

A machine of the classdescribed comprising a crescent guide, means for moving a plurality of active ends over said guide, a reserve end holder normally spaced laterally from one end of the guide, and means operative automatically upon breakage or exhaustion of any one of said active ends to move the reserve end holder to a position-intermediate the ends of the crescent guide thereby to bring the reserve end into contact with the other moving ends.

4. A machine of the class described comprising a pair of rolls, means for guiding a plurality of active ends into the bite of the rolls, a reserve end holder, and means automatically operative upon breakage or exhaustion of any one of said active ends to move conditions the reserve end holder in a plane substantial- 1y parallel to the plane defined by the axes of the rolls into a position such that the reserve end is presented for feeding to the bite of the rolls. I

5. A machine of the class described comprising a pair of drawing rolls, means for driving the rolls whereby simultaneously to feed forward a plurality of active ends, a movable feeler device engaging each of such active ends and normally held in a predetermined position by such end, a toothed holder for a reserve end, and means automatically responsive to failure of any such active end to hold its feeler in normal position and thereby initiating movement of the holder in a path transverse of the path of the active ends to place the reserve end in feeding position relatively to the rolls;

6. A machine of the class described comprising a pair of rolls, means for driving: the rolls to feed forward a plurality of active slivers, a movable feel-er spoon engaging each active sliver and normally held in inactive position by such sliver, a reserve end holder having one or more teeth for empaling the end, means tending to move the reserve end holder to a position such as to present the reserve end to the rolls in position to feed, and retaining means normally preventing such movement of the reserve end holder, said retaining means being released bymovement of any one of said spoons from normal position permitted by breakage or exhaustion of its sliver.

7. A machine of the class described comprising a pair of drawing rolls, means for driving the rolls whereby simultaneously to feed forwarda plurality of active ends, a movable feeler device engaging each of such active ends and normally held in a predeter" mined position by such end, a single reserve end bolder, means independent of the roll driving means for'moving said reserve end holder from normal position to a position where its reserve end is fed to the rolls, and a latch normally preventing such movement of the holder, said latch being released by failure of any one of the active ends to re? tain its feeler in normal position.

81A machine of the class described comprising pair of drawing rolls, means for driving the rolls whereby simultaneously to feed forwarda plurality of active ends, a movable feeler device engaging each of such active ends and normally held in a. predetermined position by such end, a reserve end holder, a spring tending to move said holderfrom a normal inactive position to a position where its reserve end may feed to the rolls, a latch normally preventing movement of the holder from inactive position, and means aetuable to release said latch upon failure of any of the active ends to retain its 'feeler in normal position.

9. A machine of the class descr'bed com prising drawing rolls, means for driving the rolls, means for stopping the roll driving means comprising a group of gravity feeler spoons each normally engaging an active sliver on its way to the rolls and being held in normal position by said sliver, a supplementary gravity feeler spoon spaced from the aforesaid group of spoons, said supplementary spoon being engaged and held in normal position by a reserve sliver, and means actuable by tilting of any one of the aforesaid group of spoons from normal position to move the reserve sliver to active position, subsequent tilting of the reserve sliver spoon actuating the stop mechanism to stop the drawing rolls,

10. A n'iarhine of the class described comprising drawing rolls, means for driving the rolls, means for stopping the roll driving means comprising a group of feeler spoons each normally engaging an active sliver on its way to the rolls and being held in inactive position by said sliver, a supplementary feeler spoon spaced from the aforesaid group of spoons engaged and normally held inactive by a reserve sliver, and means actuable by tilting of any one of the aforesaid group of spoons from normal position to move the reserve sliver to active position, subsequenttilting of the reserve spoon or of any other spoon of the aforesaid group actuating the stop means to stop the roll driving means.

11. A machine of the class described comprising drawing rolls, guide means for a plurality of active slivers on their way to the rolls, and automatic means for presenting a reserve sliver in position to feed to the rolls when any one of the active slivers fails, said means including a reserve end holder having teeth for empaling the reserve end and a signalling device indicating such failure of the normally active sliver to feed.

12. A machine of the class described comprising drawing rolls, guide means for a plurality of active slivers on their way to the rolls, a movable comb comprising a series of teeth for empaling a reserve sliver, means for moving the comb to carry the reserve sliver from normally inactive position to a position such that it is fed to the drawing rolls, and a detecting and signalling device engaging each active sliver and movable by failure of any such sliver to an abnormal signalling position and by such movement initiating movement of the comb to carry the reserve sliver toward active feeding position.

13. A machine of the class described comprising drawing rolls, a group of detector spoons constituting guides for active slivers on their way to the rolls, and a reserve sliver detector spoon spaced from the aforesaid group of spoons, the several spoons constituting elements of a stop mechanism for stopping the drawing rolls.

14. A machine of the class described comprising drawing rolls, means for guiding a predetermined numb-er of normally active ends to the rolls, means operative upon failure of one of said ends to substitute another therefor, and means operative upon subse quent failure of another of the active ends, while the reserve end is feeding, to stop the operation of the rolls.

15. A machine of the class described comprising drawing rolls, means for guiding a predetermined number of ends to the rolls, means operative upon failure of one of said ends to substitute another therefor, and means operative upon breakage of said substitute end, while being moved to feeding position, to stop the operation of the rolls.

16. A machine of the class described comprising drawing rolls, means for guiding a predetermined number of ends to the rolls. means operative upon failure of one of said ends to substitute another therefor, and means operative upon subsequent breakage of said substitute end or another of the originally active ends to stop the operation of the drawing rolls.

17. A machine of the class described comprising means for moving a group of active slivers in the same general direction, a holder for a reserve sliver movable from an idle position at one side of said group to an active position in which the reserve sliver engages active slivers of the group, the movement of the holder being in a path transverse of the direction of ITlOVGll'lCflt of the active slivers.

18. A machine of the class described comprising means for moving a group of active slivers in the same general direction, a holder for a reserve sliver movable fron'i an idle position at one side of said group to an active position in which the reserve sliver engages active slivers of the group, the movement of the holder being in a path transverse of the direction of movement of the active slivers, said hold-er having at least one tooth for empaling the reserve sliver.

19. A machine of the class described comprising means for moving a group of active slivers in the same general direction, a holder for a reserve sliver movable from an idle position at one side of said group to an active position in which the reserve sliver engages active slivers of the group, the movement of the holder being 1n a path transverse of the direction of movement of the active slivers, said holder having teeth for empaling the reserve sliver, the arrangement of the teeth being such that when the holder is in idle position they positively prevent retrograde movement of the reserve sliver and when the holder is in active position they permit the sliver freely to slip [all from them as it starts to move forward with the active slivers.

20. A machine of the class" described com prising means for moving a group of active slivers in the same general direction, a holder for a reserve" sliver movable from an idle position at one side of sa'id group to an active position in Which the reserve sliver engages active slivers of the group, the movement of the holder being in a path transverse of the direction of movement of the active slivers, said holder comprising a series of comb-teeth upon which the sliver may be empaled, the teeth being substan tially parallel to the direction of movement of the active slivers both when the holder is in idle and active position.

21. A machine of the class described comprising drawing rolls, a plurality of detector spoons including spoons for active slivers and a reserve sliver a reserve sliver holder, latch means normally retaining the holder in idle position, a spring tending to move the holder from idle position to a position in which the reserve sliver feeds to the rolls, a normally oscillating shaft, latchreleasing means, and means actuable by dropping of any one of said spoons for transmitting movement from the oscillating shaft to the latch releasing means to release the latch and permit the holder to move to feeding position. v a

22. A machine of the class described comprising drawing rolls, a plurality of detector spoons including spoons for a group of active slivers and a reserve sliver, a.- reserve sliver holder, latch means normally retain ing the holder in idle position, a spring tend ing to move the holder from idle position to a position in which the reserve sliver feeds to the rolls, a normally oscillating shaft, latch releasing means, a pivoted stop dog corresponding to each spoon, means connecting each stop dog to the oscillating shaft to cause the several dogs normally to oscil late idly, and a movable abutment common to the several dogs and normally out of their path of movement, the dropping of any spoon tilting its corresponding stop dog into a position to engage the movable abutment whereby to move the latter to release the reserve holder latch.

23. A machine of the class described com prising drawing rolls, a plurality of detector spoons including spoons for active slivers and a reserve sliver, stop dogs corresponding to each spoon, a normally oscillating support for the several dogs, the dropping of any spoon upon breakage or failure of its sliver causing the corresponding stop dog to assume an abnormal position, a reserve sliver holder, latch means normally retaining the holder in idle position, a device tending to move said holder at a predetermined speed from idle position to a position in in idle position, a spring tending to move the holder from idle position to a position in which the reserve sliver feeds to the rolls,

a normally oscillating shaft, latch releasing means, a stop dog corresponding to each spoon, said stop dogs normally oscillating idly, each stop dog having a part engageahle by its spoon when the latter drops by breakage of its sliver therebyto move the dog to abnormal position, the latch releasing means including an abutment common to the sev eral dogs and engageable only by a dog abnormally positioned, the latch releasing means also comprising a pusher device connected to the abutment and a lever engage able by said pusher to release the latch means. i y

25. A machine of the class described comprising drawing rolls, a plurality of detector spoons including spoons for active slivers and a reserve sliver, a reserve sliver holder, latch means normally retaining the holder in idle position, a spring tending to move the holder from idle position to a position in which the reserve sliver feeds to the rolls, a normally oscillating shaft, latch releasing means, a stop dog corresponding to each spoon, said stop dogs normally oscillating idly, each stop dog having a part engageable by its spoon when the latter drops by breakage or exhaustion of its sliver thereby to sense the dog to move to abnormal position, the latch releasing means including an abutment common to the several dogs and engageable only by a dog abnormally positioned, the latch releasing means also comprising a pusher device connected to the abutment, a fixed abutment with which such pusher may engage positively to stop it and thereby to stop the oscillating shaft, and a lever having a cam surface positioned to prevent engagement of the pusher with the fixed abutment so long as the reserve holder remains in idle position.

26. A machine of the class described comprising drawing ro-lls, a plurality of detector spoons including a reserve sliver spoon, and a group of spoons for active slivers, a reserve sliver holder, latch means normally retaining the holder in idle position, a spring tending to move the holder from idle position to a position in which the reserve sliver feeds to the rolls, a normally oscillating shaft, latch releasing means, a stop dog corresponding to each spoon, said stop dogs normally oscillating idly, each stop dog havill) ing a part engageable by its spoon when the latter drops by breakage of its sliver thereby to move the dog to abnormal position, the latch releasing means including an abutment common to the several dogs and engageable only by a dog abnormally positioned, the latch releasing means also comprising a pusher device connected to the abutment, a fixed abutment with which the pusher may engage thereby to stop it and the oscillating shaft, means operative to stop the drawing rolls when the oscillating shaft is stopped, and means to prevent engagement of the pusher with the fixed abutment so long as the reserve holder remains in idle position.

27. A machine of the class described comprising drawing rolls, a plurality of detector spoons including spoons for active slivers and a reserve sliver, a reserve sliver holder, latch means normally retaining the holder in idle position, a spring tending to move the holder from idle position to a position in which the reserve sliver feeds to the rolls, a normally oscillating shaft, latch releasing means, a stop dog corresponding to each spoon, said stop dogs normally oscillating idly, each stop dog having a part engageable by its spoon when the latter drops by breakage of its sliver thereby to move the dog to abnormal position, the latch releasing means including an abutment common to the several dogs and engageable only by a dog abnormally positioned, the latch releasing means also comprising a pusher device connected to the abutment, a fixed abutment with which the pusher may engage thereby to stop it and the oscillating shaft, means operative to stop the drawing rolls when the oscillating shaft is stopped, a latch lever having a cam face normally preventing engagement of the pusher with the fixed abutment and having a part engageable by the pusher whereby movement of the latter swings the latch lever to release the holder, and means actuated by the holder in moving to active position positively to move the lever out of the path of the pusher.

28. A machine of the class described comprising drawing rolls, means for driving the rolls, means for stopping the driving means, means for guiding a group of normally active slivers to the rolls, means normally holding a reserve sliver common to the group of active slivers, means to move the reserve holder to active position in which its sliver feeds to the rolls, means tending to actuate the stop means thereby to stop the drawing rolls whenever one of the group of active slivers breaks or is exhausted, and means operative to prevent operation of the stopping means so long as the reserve holding means remains in idle position.

29. A machine of the class described comprising drawing rolls, a plurality of detector spoons including spoons for a group of active slivers and a reserve sliver, a reserve sliver holder, latch means normally retaining the holder in idle position, and a spring tending to move the holder from idle position to an active position in which the reserve sliver is presented for feeding to the rolls.

30. A machine of the class described comprising a detector spoon, said spoon being held in normal position by engagement of a sliver therewith but assuming an abnormal position when its sliver breaks or is eXhausted, and means for keeping such abnormally positioned spoon in motion to form a signal device.

31. A machine of the class described comprising drawing rolls,'a plurality of detector spoons including a reserve sliver spoon, and a group of spoons for active slivers, the reserve sliver spoon being spaced from the group of spoons for active. slivers, and spaced guide fingers providing guide passages for slivers on their way to the respective spoons, the passage leading to the reserve spoon be ing Wider than the other passages.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this twenty-ninth day of June, 1925.

ROBERT E. NAUMBURG. 

